Sheet transfer and stacking device



y 7, 1969 w. v. FOSTER 3,446,103

SHEET TRANSFER AND STACKING DEVICE Filed May 22, 1967 Sheet of 4 FIG. I

INVENTOR WILLIAM VIVIAN FOSTER HIS ATTORNEYS y 27, 1969 w. v. FOSTER3,446,103

SHEET TRANSFER AND STACKING DEVICE Filed May 22, 1967 Sheet 2 FIG. 4

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SHEET TRANSFER AND STACKING DEVICE Filed May 22, 1967 Sheet 4 of 4 FIG.9

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mveu ron WILLIAM VIVIAN FOSTER HIS ATTOR N EYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,446,103 Patented May 27, 1969 3,446,103 SHEET TRANSFER ANDSTACKING DEVICE William Vivian Foster, Menasha, Wis., assignor toAmerican Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey FiledMay 22, 1967, Ser. No. 640,127 Int. Cl. B2611 7/06; B65h 29/14 US. Cl.83-96 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sheet transfer and stackingdevice wherein flexible sheet materials are fed from a rotary cutter toa first conveyor having a cantilevered end with provisions forfinger-like rods or wands on a second conveyor to sweep through thecantilevered end region of the first conveyor and, thereafter, supportand transport the sheet materials. At the end of the second conveyor,the rods or wands rotate the sheet materials through an arc to impart asufficient velocity to the sheet materials to project or throw them ontoa stack of the sheet materials from whence they may be removed asdesired.

Background of the invention This invention relates to a sheet transferand stacking device and more particularly to such a device fortransferring and stacking sheet material which is lacking in bodystiffness or rigidity so that it cannot be slid over itself or pushedover a smooth horizontal surface. The device is especially useful in thetextile industry where flexible knitted material is difficult to handlewith conventional sheeting apparatus.

Heretofore, it has been customary to provide apparatus for handlingsheet material in which the individual sheets were cut by a rotarycutter, fed to a conveyor, and then spewed therefrom directly onto astack of the sheet material. This mode of operation is not compatiblewith sheet material when the latter is extremely flexible or is lackingin rigidity to such an extent that it cannot be slid over itself or evenpushed along a smooth surface. It is, of course, desirable to providemeans for handling such flexible sheet material whether it be fabric,paper, or other flexible material so that there is no appreciable gapbetween successive product articles in feeding them from a rotary cutterto either a reciprocating or rotary transfer mechanism.

According to the present invention, the difficulties in handlingextremely flexible textile fabric or other flexible sheet materialscomprise the use of a pair of conveyors mounted end to end with thefirst of the conveyors having a cantilevered end and being provided withlaterally spaced cantilevered belts so that a series of rods or wands ona second conveyor may sweep through the cantilevered end region of thefirst conveyor so as to support and transport the sheet material fromthe first conveyor onto the second conveyor in a substantiallyhorizontal plane. When the sheet materials supported on the rods orwands arrive at the end of the second conveyor remote from the firstconveyor, the rods or wands are rotated about a sprocket at the end ofthe second conveyor until a point is reached at which the sheet materialis flung downward with a velocity imparted to it by the wands and onto asuitable stacking device. With a plurality of laterally spaced rods orwands engaging an individual sheet, it has been found that there aresuflicient air resistance and friction due to the acceleration of thewands through their arcuate travel to hold an individual sheet in placeuntil the wands change change their travel direction so that aconsistent and predictable point of departure from the rods or wandsoccurs.

Any suitable stand may be used to receive the sheet ma terials. Afterdepositing an individual sheet atop the stack, the rods or wands arewithdrawn substantially horizontally.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to providea sheet transfer and stacking device which will handle flexible sheetmaterial at rotary cutting speeds.

It is another object of the present invention to provide for a transferof flexible sheet material from a first conveyor to a second conveyorwithout requiring any substantial longitudinal spacing between theindividual sheets in order to effect transfer thereof to individualelements on the second conveyor where the sheets are individuallyhandled and controlled.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a sheettransfer and stacking device which is compatible with existing transferequipment.

These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparentfrom the detailed specification which follows.

Summary of the invention A sheet transfer and stacking device whereinflexible sheet materials are fed from a rotary cutter to a firstconveyor having a cantilevered end with provisions for fingerlike rodsor wands on a second conveyor to sweep through the cantilevered endregion of the first conveyor and thereafter, support and transport thesheet materials. At the end of the second conveyor, the rods or wandsrotate the sheet materials through an arc to impart a suflicientvelocity to the sheet materials to project or throw them one a stack ofthe sheet materials from whence they may be removed as desired.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a schematic drawing of thetransfer and stacking device of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view with certain parts removedillustrating the cantilevered construction of one end of one of theconveyors;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the sheet transfer andstacking device of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the transfer and stacking device ofFIGURE 1 with parts removed for purposes of clarity;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevation view partially in cross sectionillustrating the sheet-supporting and rotating device;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary side elevation view, partially in crosssection, further illustrating a detail of the trolley construction;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary side elevation view illustrating the trolleyand sheet-supporting device in several of its positions;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary side elevation view taken along the line 88 inFIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary side elevation view taken along the line 99 inFIGURE 4.

Description of the preferred embodiments While the various features ofthis invention are hereinafter described and illustrated as beingparticularly adaptable to handle very flexible knitted material,sometimes referred to as wipes, it is to be understood that the variousfeatures of this invention can be used singly or in any combinationthereof to provide transfer and stacking for other sheet materials.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention, FIGURE1 illustrates a web of sheet material 10 being paid off from a roll,indicated generally at 12, by means of a pair of cooperating nip rolls14, 16.

The Web of material is fed down an inclined slide 17 into a cuttingdevice 18, indicated schematically. Thus, cutting device 18 may have apair of cooperating knives 20, 22 with knife 22 providing an anvil insevering individual sheets 24 from the web of sheet material 10. Cuttingdevice 18 may consist of either a rotary cutter with cooperating knives20, 22 as shown or alternatively a combination of a slitting means andcutting knives as is conventional for such cutting devices. The inclinedslide 17 is provided with a slot or other suitable opening 23 toaccommodate either cutting knives 20, 22 or a slitting device and knives20, 22.

At the bottom of slide 17, the individual sheets 24 initially contactthe continuously moving upper reach of a first conveyor, indicatedgenerally at 26, from where they are fed toward a second conveyor,indicated generally at 28. In order to obtain a satisfactory conveyance,the individual sheets 24 are contacted and guided in the course of theirtravel by a third conveyor positioned vertically above first conveyor 26and second conveyor First conveyor 26 has rollers 32 at its lead-in endand pairs of rollers 34, 36 at its opposite end with the lattersuspended from cantilever rods 38. The cantilever rods 38 are attachedto a cross plate 40. Individual belts 42 pass over rollers 32 at one endand pairs of rollers 34, 36 at the other end to engage the underside ofindividual sheets 24 in transferring the latter along a desiredpredetermined horizontal path.

The third conveyor 30 has a belt 31 which passes over rollers 33 andwith belt 31 adapted to engage and guide individual sheets 24 after theyhave been presented to the individual belts 42 of first conveyor 26. Thethird conveyor is mounted to the frame 46 by means of angle supports 37,such as is partially indicated 11 FIGURE 3.

Referring to FIGURE 3, it will be observed that cross plate is rigidlyattached to rigid angle frame members 44 on each side of a frame,indicated generally at 46.

Referring once again to FIGURE 2, the cantilever rods 38 are spacedlaterally on cross plate 40 a sufiicient distance to provide clearanceopenings 48, 50 and 52 between individual belts 42.

The second conveyor 28 is shown in FIGURE 1 to consist of sprockets 54carried on an axle suitably journalled on one end at 55 in FIGURE 3 andsprockets 56 at the opposite end of conveyor 28 which are carried on anaxle suitably journalled at 57 in FIGURE 3. Sets of rods or wands 58 arecarried on cross bars 59 which are attached to parallel chain linkdrives, indicated generally at 60. Connecting links 61 provide thespecific attachment between individual cross bars 59 and the parallelchain link drives 60.

Referring now to FIGURES 59, pairs of trolleys, indicated generally at62, support the opposed ends of cross bars 59 with the aid of set screws64. Each trolley has two wheels 65, 66 which ride on trolley guide rails68, 70.

In order to smooth the travel of the wand 58 during pickup and dischargeof the sheets 24, earns 74, 76 are formed in rail 68 and cams 78, 80 inrail 70. These cams, upon which the wheels 65, 66 ride, facilitatesmooth pickup and stacking of the sheets 24 by decreasing the whip-likeaction of the wands 58 at each end of the conveyor 28.

As the wand 58 rotates upwardly to pick up a sheet 24 from the firstconveyor 24, the rear wheel rides on the cam 78 to guide the wand 58into contact with an advancing sheet 24. As the wand approaches thehorizontal, the front wheels 66 ride on the cam 74 to assist in pickupof a sheet 24.

A stand 72 is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG- URE l for receivingindividual sheets 24 which are deposited there by the sets of rods orwands 58 as they rotate following the trolley guide rail 68, and, ingeneral, the contour of sprocket 56. It will be observed that the thirdconveyor 30 terminates some distance to the left of sprocket 56 asillustrated in FIGURE 1 so as to permit the individual sets of rods orwands 58 to carry the individual sheets 24 through a sufiicient arc toimpart a vertically downward velocity to them, thereby causing them tobe flung downwardly onto the stack of sheets on a suitable stand 72.

When depositing a sheet 24, the rear wheel 65 rides on the cam as thewand 58 begins its downward arcuate movement. At the bottom of the rail68, the front wheel 66 rides on the cam 76 preventing the wand fromwhipping around and striking the stack 72.

The flexible sheets 24 are retained on the sets of rods or wands 58 by acombination of rotary acceleration of the wands plus air resistance andfriction. After depositing the individual sheets 24 on the stack orstand 72, the individual sets of rods or Wands withdraw substantiallyhorizontally to the lower flight of second conveyor 28.

The conveyors 26, 28, and 30 are driven at the same speed as rotarycutting device 18 and nip rolls 14, 16 so that the operation can beperformed continuously and without the aid of any accumulator.

Reference to FIGURE 4 illustrates a number of individual sheets 24spaced laterally along a set of rods or wands 58 to indicate that theweb material 10 can first be slit by cutting means 18 and then cut intoindividual sheets across the width of the sheet feeder and stackingdevice.

The stand 72 may be of any conventional form such that the height of astack of sheets 24 may be automatically adjusted either in timedsequence with the conveyor means or in proportion to the Weight of thestack of individual sheets 24 placed thereupon.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description. It will be apparentthat various changes may be made in the form, construction, andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing its material advantages, with the formshereinbefore described merely being preferred embodiments thereof.

I claim:

1. In a sheet transfer and stacking device, the combination comprisingthe first convey-or means having a plurality of laterally spaced beltmeans for receiving and advancing sheet means along a predeterminedpath, second conveyor means adjacent one end of said first conveyormeans for continuing the advance of said sheet means along said path, aplurality of sheet-supporting devices carried by said second conveyormeans, and said one end of said first conveyor means being cantileveredwhereby said plurality of said sheet-supporting devices may enter thespace between said belt means of said first conveyor means to eifecttransfer of said sheet means from said first conveyor means to saidsecond conveyor means.

2. A sheet transfer and stacking device as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid sheet means is supported substantially horizontally as it travelsalong said first and second conveyor means and wherein saidsheet-supporting devices rotate said sheet means through an arc toimpart suflicient velocity to said sheet means to cause said sheet meansto be flung downwardly to form a stack of said sheet means adjacent anend of said second conveyor means.

3. A sheet transfer and stacking device as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid plurality of sheet-supporting devices comprises at least a firstset of laterally spaced rod members and at least a second set oflaterally spaced rod members, with said first and second sets oflaterally spaced rod members being longitudinally spaced with respect toeach other on said second conveyor means.

4. A sheet transfer and stacking device as claimed in claim 2 whereinsaid plurality of sheet-supporting devices comprises at least a firstset of laterally spaced rod members and at least a second set oflaterally spaced rod members, with said first and second sets oflaterally spaced rod members being longitudinally spaced with respect toeach other on said second conveyor means.

5. A sheet transfer and stacking device as claimed in claim 1 includinga third conveyor means positioned above said first and second conveyormeans and serving as guide means to insure that said sheet meanscontinues along said predetermined path.

6. A sheet transfer and stacking device as claimed in claim 2 includinga third conveyor means positioned above said first and second conveyormeans and serving as guide means to insure that said sheet meanscontinues along said predetermined path.

7. A sheet transfer and stacking device as claimed in claim 3 includinga third conveyor means positioned above said first and second conveyormeans and serving as guide means to insure that said sheet meanscontinues along said predetermined path.

8. In a transfer and stacking device, the combination comprising:

a roll of sheet material in web form;

pay-oil means to pay off said web from said roll;

cutting means to cut said web of sheet material into individual sheets;

first conveyor means having a plurality of laterally spaced belt meansfor receiving and advancing said individual sheets along a predeterminedpath;

second conveyor means adjacent one end of said first conveyor means forcontinuing the advance of said individual sheets along said path;

a plurality of sheet-supporting devices carried by said second conveyormeans;

and said one end of said first conveyor means being cantilevered wherebysaid plurality of said sheetsupporting devices may enter the spacebetween said belt means of said first conveyor means to effect transferof said individual sheets from said first conveyor means to said secondconveyor means.

9. A transfer and stacking device as claimed in claim 8 wherein saidindividual sheets are supported substantially horizontally as theytravel along said first and second conveyor means and wherein saidindividual sheet-supporting devices rotate said individual sheetsthrough an arc to impart velocity to said sheets to cause saidindividual sheets to be flung downwardly to form a stack of individualsheets adjacent an end of said second conveyor means.

10. A transfer and stacking device as claimed in claim 8 wherein saidplurality of sheet-supporting devices comprises at least a first set oflaterally spaced rod members and at least a second set of laterallyspaced rod members, with said first and second sets of laterally spacedrod members being longitudinally spaced with respect to each other onsaid second conveyor means.

11. A transfer and stacking device as claimed in claim 8 including athird conveyor means positioned above said first and second conveyormeans and serving as guide means to insure that said sheet meanscontinues along said predetermined path.

12. A transfer and stacking device as claimed in claim 9 including a.third conveyor means positioned above said first and second conveyormeans and serving as guide means to insure that said sheet meanscontinues along said predetermined path.

13. A transfer and stacking device as claimed in claim 10 including athird conveyor means positioned above said first and second conveyormeans and serving as guide means to insure that said sheet meanscontinues along said predetermined path.

14. A transfer and stacking device as claimed in claim 8 includinginclined slide means to assist in transporting said web material fromsaid pay-off means to said cutting means and said sheet material fromsaid cutting means to said first conveyor means.

15. A transfer and stacking device as claimed inclaim 8 wherein saidcutting means includes means to slit said web material axially as wellas means to out said Web means transversely into individual sheets.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Hodgman 271-76 ANDREW R. JUHASZ,Primary Examiner. FRANK T. YOST, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

